Campanula plant named ‘Emerald’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Campanula  plant named ‘Emerald’, characterized by its upright and compact plant habit; basal branching habit; freely flowering habit; and light purple-colored flowers.

Botanical designation: Campanula glomerata.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Emerald’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Campanula, botanically known as Campanula glomerata and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Emerald’.

The new Campanula originated from an open-pollination of an unnamed selection of Campanula glomerata, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unknown selection of Campanula glomerata, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Campanula was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated open-pollination grown in a controlled environment in Oude Wetering, The Netherlands in 2002.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by softwood cuttings in Oude Wetering, The Netherlands, since 2004, has shown that the unique features of this new Campanula are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Emerald have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Emerald’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Emerald’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

-   -   1. Upright and compact plant habit.     -   2. Basal branching habit.     -   3. Freely flowering habit.     -   4. Light purple-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Campanula differ from plants of the female parent selection primarily in plant size and flower color.

Plants of the new Campanula can be compared to plants of the Campanula cultivar Alba, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in Oude Wetering, The Netherlands, plants of the new Campanula differed primarily from plants of the cultivar Alba in flower color as plants of the cultivar Alba had white-colored flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the actual colors of the new Campanula.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of typical flowering plants of ‘Emerald’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the top of the second sheet is a close-up view of a typical inflorescence of ‘Emerald’.

The photograph at the bottom of the second sheet is a close-up view of a typical leaf of ‘Emerald’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. Plants used for the aforementioned photograph and following description were grown under conditions which closely approximate commercial production conditions during the summer in an outdoor nursery in Lisserbroek, The Netherlands for about two years. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 14° C. to 32° C. and night temperatures ranged from 5° C. to 15° C.

-   Botanical classification: Campanula glomerata cultivar Emerald. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female parent.—Unnamed selection of Campanula glomerata, not             patented.         -   Male parent.—Unknown selection of Campanula glomerata, not             patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cutting.—Softwood cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About 20 to 30 days at 18° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About 100 days at 22°             C.         -   Root description.—Moderately fine; light grey in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; moderately dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Form.—Perennial. Upright and compact plant form; narrow             inverted triangle; basal branching habit. Moderately             vigorous growth habit. Campanulate flowers arranged in             terminal and axillary clusters.         -   Plant height.—About 46 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 39 cm.         -   Lateral branch description.—Length: About 4.7 cm. Diameter:             About 1.1 cm. Internode length: About 1.1 cm. Strength:             Strong. Aspect: Upright. Texture: Roughly pubescent. Color:             143A to 143B to 144B; at the nodes, 176B. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple.         -   Length.—About 11.6 cm.         -   Width.—About 2.9 cm.         -   Shape.—Ovate.         -   Apex.—Broadly acute.         -   Base.—Cuneate to cordate.         -   Margin.—Serrate.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Roughly pubescent.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing foliage, upper surface: 137B. Developing             foliage, lower surface: 137C. Fully expanded foliage, upper             surface: 137A; venation, 147C. Fully expanded foliage, lower             surface: 137C; venation, 147D.         -   Petiole length.—About 12.5 cm.         -   Petiole diameter.—About 6 mm.         -   Petiole color, upper and lower surfaces.—144B; towards the             base, 145C to 145D. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower arrangement and shape.—Single campanulate flowers             arranged in terminal and axillary clusters; flowers face             outwardly to upright. Freely flowering, about 175 flowers             per lateral branch.         -   Natural flowering season.—Continuous flowering from early             June to mid-July in The Netherlands.         -   Flower longevity on the plant.—About ten days; flowers             persistent.         -   Fragrance.—Faint; sweet.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 2.5 cm. Diameter: About 1 cm.             Shape: Narrowly elliptic to narrowly oblong. Color: 145C to             150C; towards the apex, N187D.         -   Inflorescence size.—Length: About 5.3 cm. Diameter: About             7.6 cm.         -   Flowers.—Diameter: About 3.4 cm. Depth (height): About 3 cm.         -   Petals.—Arrangement: Five in a single whorl; fused. Length:             About 3.7 cm. Width: About 8 mm. Shape: Oblong. Apex: Acute.             Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,             glabrous. Color: When opening, upper surface: 75A to 75B;             towards the base, 76D. When opening, lower surface: 76B to             76C; towards the base, 76D. Fully opened, upper surface: 76B             to 76C; towards the base, 76D. Fully opened, lower surface:             76C; towards the base, 76C to 76D; main vein, 76B.         -   Sepals.—Arrangement: Five in a single whorl; fused. Length:             About 1.9 cm. Width: About 2 mm. Shape: Narrowly lanceolate.             Apex: Acute to acuminate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and             lower surfaces: Roughly pubescent. Color: When opening,             upper and lower surfaces: 143A. Fully opened, upper and             lower surfaces: 143A.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 7.8 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm.             Aspect: About 25° from vertical. Strength: Strong. Texture:             Smooth, glabrous. Color: 143A to 143B to 144B; tinged with             176B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Five.             Anther shape: Narrowly oblong. Anther length: About 7 mm.             Anther color: 11A. Filament length: About 2 mm. Pollen             amount: Moderate. Pollen color: 11B to 11C. Pistils:             Quantity per flower: One. Pistil length: About 2.2 cm.             Stigma shape: Tapering. Stigma color: N187B. Style length:             About 2 cm. Style color: N187C. Ovary color: 144B.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Campanula have not been     noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Campanula. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Campanula have exhibited good     tolerance to rain and wind and have been observed to be suitable for     USDA Zones 3 to 9. 

1. A new and distinct Campanula plant named ‘Emerald’ as illustrated and described. 